Lake Michigan barge traffic proposal getting support

Thursday

Jun 5, 2014 at 7:00 PM

By Jim.Hayden@hollandsentinel.com(616) 546-4274

Some local farmers and others are adding their support to a U.S. Coast Guard proposal that would allow river barge traffic on the east side of Lake Michigan as far north as Muskegon.“Agriculture is one of Michigan’s largest and fastest growing sectors, and we depend on reliable transportation options,” said Jim Byrum president of Michigan Agri-Business Association. “Allowing river barge access on Lake Michigan will give Michigan’s agriculture industry more access to efficient and cost-effective water transportation, which will ultimately grow our industry, create jobs and boost Michigan’s economy.”The group says shipping, scrap and metal, aggregates and electric utilities would be among other industries that would benefit.The public comment period ends Aug. 25.To comment, visitregulations.gov and enter the docket number USCG-2013-0954 in the search bar.Now, cargo from West Michigan has to be placed on a Great Lakes ship then taken to a port near Chicago and transferred to a barge for transport down the Mississippi River.“Michigan is unable to take advantage of the efficiency of the river fleet barges due to the restriction on its routes,” Brian Brink of Brink Farms Inc., of Hamilton, wrote in the public comments section of the proposal. “Barges of agricultural products are sometimes traded four to five times while loaded on the river before they reach any sort of final destination.”Muskegon is considering building a river barge terminal that would handle the vessels and allow access to railways and highways.The barges could also serve the ports of Holland and Grand Haven, Brink wrote.For a barge to operate on Lake Michigan, it must meet what is called a load line assignment, requirements that secure the vessel’s seaworthiness for severe weather conditions, according to the Coast Guard. The petition is asking to have a load-line exempt route to Muskegon.Now, river barges can get the exemption to travel from Calumet to Milwaukee. These barges are subject to weather conditions and loading restrictions — rules that would be applied to a possible Calumet to Muskegon route, the Coast Guard said.“As Michigan's agricultural innovators seek to distribute their products globally, this method of transportation is safe, efficient, and cost-effective. To allow river barges to access Michigan's west coast water routes is an important economic resource,” Julie Cowie, program manager for Sprout Lab, wrote in the comments section. The organization is a Michigan-focused economic development program for growers, producers, food processors and engineers with an idea that could be applied to agriculture operations. Sprout Lab is based at the Richard M. and Helen DeVos Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Grand Valley State University.“For Michigan's agricultural entrepreneurs and agribusiness to be able to compete effectively, they deserve the same access to water routes as other states enjoy along the Great Lakes,” she wrote.— The Associated Press contributed to this article. Follow Jim Hayden on Twitter@SentinelJim.